In the forests of Kaapsehoop, local forest bathing guide and Eco therapist, Keli Stanissis, takes you on a quiet and gentle journey, opening your senses in such a way that you are left feeling deeply immersed in nature.
“Let’s go bathe in the forest”, they said. “It will be fun”, they said.
“We told you so”, they said 😊
– Them that said it.
Have you heard about the latest ‘whoosaah’ activity popping up in the Lowveld? The Japanese art of Forest Bathing. The art of releasing unwanted stress and anxiety. The art of naturally building your immune system.
The art of connecting with the trees and the nature around you…
Now, before you get all riled up, let me just assure you that during our time spent at two recent forest bathing events, Sociably team members were not once asked to hug a tree. What we can confirm without a doubt is that no tree-hugger will ever be judged here, and that we really enjoyed hugging our newfound tree friends.
All jokes aside, lets just understand what exactly forest bathing is.
Forest bathing means ‘to soak up the forest’ or to ‘bathe’ in the forest’s atmosphere. It entails slow, silent, and mindful time spend in nature. It is a relaxation practice fueled by the senses. Close attention is paid to what you can see, hear, smell, and touch. The goal is to become aware of, and to appreciate your surroundings.
Need more convincing? Read on dear friend – it gets even better.
Did you know that exposure to forests can help kill certain cancers? While breathing the forest air, we breathe in phytoncides which are essential oils given off by the trees. These essential oils have antibacterial and antifungal properties. When humans breathe in these essential oils, our bodies react by increasing white blood cells called the ‘natural killer’ (NK) cells. NK cells kill tumour – and virus-infected cells.
While forest bathing can be done by anyone at any time, alone or in groups, it is always better to have an experienced guide, especially when it comes to the activation and enhancement of your senses.
In the forests of Kaapsehoop, local forest bathing guide and Eco therapist, Keli Stanissis, takes you on a quiet and gentle journey, opening your senses in such a way that you are left feeling deeply immersed in nature. As you sink deep into relaxation, cued with things to see, hear, smell and touch – you very quickly fall in love with the forest and the peace it has to offer. In this moment, silence comes naturally as the racing mind fades away.
After an hour of bathing in the forest atmosphere, we carried our silence out of the forest to explore the Kaapsehoop terrain, like free-spirited children. Curious about what we might find. We were handed cards containing sensory activities of shapes, colours and textures to find as we explored – taking our sensory experience even further.
The morning was ended with a second bathe in the forest, even more relaxing than the first, letting go of any tension that remained. We left the forest with tranquil hearts and happy spirits.
While forest bathing might sometimes be associated with a ‘’certain kind of person’’, what we found in the forest were several people with different backgrounds, beliefs, religions. All with the same goal. To become aware of and to appreciate their surroundings. And in this, find their own experience, completely unique to themselves.
Forest Bathing 101
Forest Bathing 101
Have you heard about the latest ‘whoosaah’ activity popping up in the Lowveld? The Japanese art of Forest Bathing. The art of releasing unwanted stress and anxiety. The art of naturally building your immune system.
The art of connecting with the trees and the nature around you…
Now, before you get all riled up, let me just assure you that during our time spent at two recent forest bathing events, Sociably team members were not once asked to hug a tree. What we can confirm without a doubt is that no tree-hugger will ever be judged here, and that we really enjoyed hugging our newfound tree friends.
All jokes aside, lets just understand what exactly forest bathing is.
Forest bathing means ‘to soak up the forest’ or to ‘bathe’ in the forest’s atmosphere. It entails slow, silent, and mindful time spend in nature. It is a relaxation practice fueled by the senses. Close attention is paid to what you can see, hear, smell, and touch. The goal is to become aware of, and to appreciate your surroundings.
Need more convincing? Read on dear friend – it gets even better.
Did you know that exposure to forests can help kill certain cancers? While breathing the forest air, we breathe in phytoncides which are essential oils given off by the trees. These essential oils have antibacterial and antifungal properties. When humans breathe in these essential oils, our bodies react by increasing white blood cells called the ‘natural killer’ (NK) cells. NK cells kill tumour – and virus-infected cells.
Read more about the science behind forest bathing here.
While forest bathing can be done by anyone at any time, alone or in groups, it is always better to have an experienced guide, especially when it comes to the activation and enhancement of your senses.
In the forests of Kaapsehoop, local forest bathing guide and Eco therapist, Keli Stanissis, takes you on a quiet and gentle journey, opening your senses in such a way that you are left feeling deeply immersed in nature. As you sink deep into relaxation, cued with things to see, hear, smell and touch – you very quickly fall in love with the forest and the peace it has to offer. In this moment, silence comes naturally as the racing mind fades away.
After an hour of bathing in the forest atmosphere, we carried our silence out of the forest to explore the Kaapsehoop terrain, like free-spirited children. Curious about what we might find. We were handed cards containing sensory activities of shapes, colours and textures to find as we explored – taking our sensory experience even further.
The morning was ended with a second bathe in the forest, even more relaxing than the first, letting go of any tension that remained. We left the forest with tranquil hearts and happy spirits.
While forest bathing might sometimes be associated with a ‘’certain kind of person’’, what we found in the forest were several people with different backgrounds, beliefs, religions. All with the same goal. To become aware of and to appreciate their surroundings. And in this, find their own experience, completely unique to themselves.
To the forests.
May they thrive.
For all time.
For more information on Lowveld Forest Bathing, click HERE.
More posts